FAST and Furious lead Dominic Toretto always cared for his friends, whom he considered “family.” He would shed blood, sweat and tears—even lay down his life for them. We see it all throughout the history of the franchise. This writer, being a family man himself, is truly inspired by all of these, indeed.
With this, one inspiration I recently draw from was when Autostrada Motore Inc., the authorized distributor of Ferrari in the country, has finally brought in the Ferrari GTC4 Lusso—the sole four-seater in the popular Italian carmaker’s current lineup—during its unveiling at Okada Manila in Parañaque City.
Even though it took them two years to introduce this stunner in our local shores, after the public first laid its eyes on it at the 2016 Geneva International Motor Show, we wouldn’t care much since the unexplainable bliss of being in a Ferrari can now be shared with the family and even the barkada.
“This has brought us so much joy since the adrenaline of being in Ferrari can now be shared together with your loved ones,” doled out the company’s head honcho Wellington Soong during an interview.
We learned that the GTC4 Lusso’s name was reportedly derived from its predecessors, such as the 330 GTC—even its 2+2 sister model, the 330 GT. It was described as “a sublime combination of elegance and high performance.” The number 4 refers to the car being a four-seater compared to the usual two, while the GTC means “Grand Turismo Coupe,” and Lusso alludes to its Italian translation of luxury.
“Now, the beauty of this darling is that its driving experience was basically designed for four occupants so you can all enjoy the ride whenever you go on a long road trip,” Soong added.
The GTC4 Lusso, like the recently launched 812 Superfast, sports the same Ferrari F140 engine that produces a slightly subtler 681 hp and 697 N-m of torque, which can sprint from 0 to 100 kph in 3.4 seconds while topping a speed of 335 kph.
With all these power comes Ferrari’s responsibility of keeping its drivers and passengers safe with its new own patented 4RM-s (four-wheel drive, four-wheel steering) system that’s based on the latest, fourth-generation Side Slip Control and integrates and controls the 4RM Evo four-wheel drive’s PTU (Power Transfer Unit), the rear wheel steering, E-Diff, a torque vectoring system and Magnaride Damper Control.
Like the usual Ferraris we see on the road, it suits up a long hood, with subtly redesigned headlights, grill and bumper. At the rear, it struts with its new signature dual taillight design.
Inside, enthused Ferrari designer Flavio Manzoni created an extremely streamlined, tapered silhouette, highlighting its heavenly balance of elegance and sportiness while incorporating comfortable rear seats.
“A Ferrari that an owner can use every day, take almost everywhere with four full-sized adult passengers,” meanwhile articulated Marc, Willy’s son and executive director of their company, during his opening speech of the event program.
In closing, let this scribe end this article with an inspiring line from one of the Fast and Furious movies that goes: “The most important thing in life will always be family.”
And this, I believe, was what inspired Ferrari to make this sensational four-seater.
Image credits: Ronald Rey M. de los Reyes